The mudslides caused by torrential rains swept up everything in their paths. In a few minutes, the river burst its banks. (Photo: Valérie Defert)

Entire neighbourhoods are submerged. (Photo: Valérie Defert)

The waters rise 1.5 metres (nearly 5 feet). Luiz and his family escape by taking refuge on the roof of their house. (Photo: Valérie Defert)

Luiz’s house is devastated. Almost everything was destroyed and because buying household insurance is not a common practice in Brazil, Luiz will now have to continue paying off furniture he no longer has. (Photo: Valérie Defert)

Brazil’s President Dilma Roussef has freed up more than 350 million euros (469 million dollars) for reconstruction. However, Luiz doesn’t expect to receive any government aide. In any case, he no longer wants to live here. (Photo: Valérie Defert)

Nearly 2,000 people are now homeless. Many fear predictions of fresh rainfall over the weekend. (Photo: Valérie Defert)

The destruction is considerable. Reconstruction efforts will be long and difficult. (Photo: Valérie Defert)

(Photo: Valérie Defert)

The mudslide has covered everything, making it difficult to reach affected areas. (Photo: Valérie Defert)

In Teresopolis turnout is high: more than 800 civil servants and volunteers have been mobilised. (Photo: Valérie Defert)

For these rescuers, the day has come to an end. But they know that tomorrow and in the months to come, they will have to work hard to reconstruct the town. (Photo: Valérie Defert)

The disaster, which struck Wednesday last week, is the worst of its type in Brazil's history.

The toll was likely to rise further in the days ahead as emergency crews backed by 700 military personnel used helicopters and four-wheel drives to access areas that have been cut off for days.

"I'm never going back there to live. Death will always be in that place," said Roberto Fabiano Augusto, a survivor rescued from the isolated village of Vale de Cuiaba.

More than 50 people died in his village, he said. His family managed to escape, but his neighbors did not. "A lot of my childhood friends died. I don't want to go back there to live," he told AFP after a helicopter brought him to the nearby town of Itaipava.

The commander in charge of air rescues, Commander Luis Antonio Pinto Machado, said "there are still at least 10 areas cut off, which have populations from 500 to several thousand."

From the air, the landslides were easily seen: red scars on mountains with layers of debris beneath. Houses in their path were torn apart, as though blasted by explosives.

Residents were seen pleading for help from the helicopters flying over their heads. When crews descended, they dropped off food and first-aid kits. But in many cases, locals wanted to stay where they were, to secure what was left of their homes.

The government has pledged $450 million in aid, $60 million of which have been released immediately.

Brazilian media called it the worst mudslide disaster in the country's history, surpassing mudslides in a coastal town that killed 437 people in 1967.

Seasonal rains, normally heavy anyway, suddenly intensified unimaginably last week because of a cold front that dumped a month's worth of water in a few hours.

As the water slipped under the soil on the region's steep granite hillsides, the surface gave way, sending avalanches of mud, trees and big boulders crashing down into valley communities, wiping some of them out entirely and killing hundreds.

Houses illegally built on the hillsides -- many of them by poor people occupying public land -- were immediately destroyed, and added to the deadly mass speeding downhill. Many wealthy properties were also swallowed up.

The towns of Nova Friburgo, Teresopolis and Petropolis -- tourist destinations that used to be aristocratic getaways for 19th century Brazilian nobility -- were the worst hit.

Outlying villages were cut off as more than a dozen roads crumbled away or were covered with debris.

For the past few days, military helicopters have been sent out to those isolated areas, rescuing injured survivors and delivering desperately needed food, water and medicine.

Authorities have warned that epidemics are now a real danger.

Bodies are decomposing badly in the tropical heat, and bacteria and parasites normally present in the waterways are multiplying. Officials urged the local population to avoid drinking contaminated runoff water.

Around 17,000 people were being put up in shelters or staying with relatives after losing their homes or having to abandon at-risk areas.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Saturday declared three days of national mourning. Rio de Janeiro state from Monday started observing a longer, week-long period of grieving.

Ordinary Brazilians were rallying to help the devastated population, sending donations of food and clothing to the disaster zone.